YUCA

This year the main stage at the Canada Day Celebration at Rotary Stadium will be jumping with an assortment of entertainment for every taste.

In addition, Yuca, Bed of Stars, John Welsh and The Tourist Company will be performing a range of music from reggae to rock in the afternoon and evening.

Yuca is the evening’s main act. Charismatic Matt Borck’s visceral ode to freedom, Maybe We’ll Riot’s electric drums and guitar will bring the crowd rising to their feet with fists pumping. With Andy Boldt on bass and backing vocals and Dave Atkinson on drums, Yuca is a not-to-be missed trio of solid rockers. - Abby News

Matt Borck, lead guitarist and singer of the Canadian band YUCA joins us with the driving al rock of the bands newest album, Rebuilding The Fallen Empire that evokes Muse, Coldplay a Canada's hardest working music groups, with 375 shows nationally and internationally. We are thrilled to welcome them back to the USA and let you talk with Matt about their music and news on their upcoming tour. Maybe he can slip out unannounced USA dates? - Music Friday

http://globalnews.ca/video/1084314/yuca - Global TV

YUCA thinks big.

Rising Empire aims big.

The two seem made for each other.

YUCA is a trio whose new album, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire, is the first for the new Rising Empire label.
There always have been challenges to any newly founded label, but especially now with the recording industry allegedly mortally wounded.

However, there are outlets to market and promote a record that didn’t exist before and that adds confidence to an already confident Jason Ark.

“The label existed in my mind as something I always wanted to do, to be part of,” the originator of Rising Empire explains.
Then, one night, Ark and his wife were at a YUCA show. He’d found his band and Rising Empire was born on the the spot.
“The timing worked out,” he continues. “Loved the energy, loved these guys. It was natural that we would partner with the group.”

YUCA had dealings with the music industry before. It had released one album and toured Asia twice, making a video in Tokyo. Nobody had said the right things to YUCA, but Jason did.

“We trust them,” says Matt Borck, Yuca’s songwriter, leader and resident idealist. “Trust is one of those things, if you have it, you have it. This is a new place for us.”

Rising Empire took months to investigate the business, to build a promotion and marketing team, solidify its position and to step confidently but carefully. It now has 10 employees and a program that intends to take aspiring acts to a higher level, whether that’s songwriting, performing or recording.

“Our first artist has to be the right one,” Ark stresses. “We knew that we were responsible for making their dreams come true. We wanted to do this right.”

As he looks forward to 2014, Borck declares the year to be YUCA’s, which starts for the band at the Red Room, Saturday. The gig will be to launch the new album and five bucks of the $15 admission can be put toward a discount at the merchandise table.
A North American and European tour are planned and YUCA will go back to Japan.

“It’s more than a CD release party,” Borck says. “It’s a celebration.”

“This isn’t a hobby for us; this is what we want to do,” he adds. “In Japan, they want what you have. There’s a great tradition of art. They respect it.”

YUCA has long thought that way. From the beginning, the Langley trio has had a grand design. Even in a small club, YUCA projects something more likely to be found in a large arena. This is true of the new album, which savours its drama and isn’t humble.

“We want you to come with us on our journey,” Borck states. Making the journey easier is the support of Rising Empire. “That allows us to be honest. That’s been huge for us. Rising Empire came along and took the weight off my shoulders.”
And to continue to think big.

“When you look at U2 or Nine Inch Nails, all those bands we get compared to, when you strip away all the effects and the lights, they’re still incredible.”

And behind YUCA will be Rising Empire.

“For us, we need YUCA to do well,” Ark says realistically. “We’re a great team.”

Club gig
Yuca
Where: Red Room Ultra Bar, 398 Richards
When: Saturday
Tickets: $15 at the door - Tom Harrison

I swear that title will make more sense if you continue to read what Matt Borck of YUCA had to say about band life, the Olympics and a recent trip to Japan. Right now the Canadian rock band is still taking in the release of their latest record Rebuilding the Fallen Empire, and aren’t rushing the next one just yet. So to find out more about the lives of the men in YUCA, keep on reading on because their lead singer had a lot to say.

Kendra: When did you start to have the fantasy of being in a band?

Matt Borck: I can’t recall a time when I ever viewed being in a band as a “fantasy.” When I was a child I always dreamt about being in a band and being the next “Beatles or U2”. My parents were my biggest cheerleaders and encouraged me that I could do and be anything that I wanted. So from an early age I it wasn’t so much about “fantasy” as it was timing – WHEN was I going to start making my dream a reality. I wanted it then as badly as I want it now.

Kendra: Your looks don’t match what I thought you’d sound like, do you ever get that? Because I expected some metal like music or something.

Matt: That’s awesome; you judged a book by its cover lol! (just bugging ya) I have never heard that before about our looks matching our music? Now you have me very interested in knowing what you think our musical look should be?

Kendra: You seem to enjoy photo shoots, but do they ever get awkward?

Matt: We always try to make the best of every situation. Photos shoots can be awkward and I do have to say bring up my insecurities about how I look. We are getting more and more used to them every time they happen and we are always encouraging each other to just relax and be ourselves.

Kendra: How was playing the Vancouver Olympics a few years ago, is it as big a production as the Summer Games?

Matt: Playing the Olympics was an incredible experience and we felt such honor to represent British Columbia’s music scene to the world! The Olympics, whether winter or summer, are just massive and the eyes of the world are on the city they are being held in. We performed for thousands and after the shows we were signing autographs and taking pics with fans. You’d hear the fans speaking languages from all over the world. It was truly an amazing experience as with most shows, you aren’t performing to new fans from all over the world – you’re hitting city by city. In one show our music travelled around the world – how epic. To add to making the Olympics an incredible experience we also had one of our songs featured on the Official 2010 Winter Olympics Video Game for PS3 and Xbox360.
Kendra: Recently you just played over in Japan. Did you get to do anything super touristy?

Matt: Not really, no. In Okinawa we took one afternoon to swim in some of the most exotic water I have ever experienced in my life – you know that crystal clear baby blue water you see in movies? That was it! It was just us band mates in an empty ocean – just incredible. In Tokyo we toured a local garden & temple in the Shinjuku District that was absolutely gorgeous but other than that we didn’t do any super touristy stuff. One afternoon in Tokyo we did sneak into this gorgeous, tall building that was all glass and made it past security to the top – the 50th floor. It was a spectacular view of Tokyo and on our way down they even were kind enough to have security escort us out.

Kendra: Were the crowds over there as reserved as people say?

Matt: Not at all! When we hit the stage in Japan the fans were incredible. They were packed again the stage grabbing at us, screaming and singing, trying to hold my hand and it would look like a night sky of flashing stars with all their mobile phones taking video and photos. Even trying to film or take photos on the streets we would have people coming up to us taking pics with us and signing autographs.

Kendra: Do you have any plans to tour the US or are you guys taking it easy for awhile?

Matt: No taking it easy for YUCA ever! We have huge plans for 2014 and touring the US is a part of those plans. We have had amazing experiences performing in the US and love any chances we get to tour there.

Kendra: Any New Year’s resolutions for you personally or for the band?

Matt: I haven’t even thought about that? I think for us as a band we are challenging ourselves to take more risks!

Kendra: If you had to make a mixtape of Canada’s finest, which five songs would have to be on it?

Matt: Wow, great question. Here’s my Top 5:
The Band – “Up on Cripple Creek”
Neil Young – “Heart of Gold”
Daniel Lanois – “Falling at Your Feet”
The Midway State – “Hartley Salter’s Kite”
DeadMau5 – “Some Chords” - Sunny Menagerie - The Golden Mixtape

Album Review

Today’s musical landscape stands in current need of an injection of passion and energy. While there are plenty of fine bands and great artists on the market working in the industry, there’s been a dearth of epic, sweeping rock that conjures great emotion and creativity in one concise package like imports Muse, Coldplay, Sigor Ros, and U2. It’s the kind of art that music fans love and search for, probing here and there in hopes of finding the next great band. And with the discovery of the Canadian three-piece outfit YUCA and the release of their rousing debut, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire, that search may have just ended.

Hailing from Langley, Canada, the trio has spent the last five years cutting their teeth on their music, tirelessly working on their sound and performing nationally and internationally, garnering acclaim and grabbing some great headlines and opportunities along the way. Among those include the chance to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, having a song placed in a video game honoring those Olympics, and sharing the stage with artists like The Killers, Metric, Lifehouse, and more.

The record benefits greatly from the group’s shared experiences, their five years of touring and work coming to fruition, the title carrying a double meaning.

“It means reviving rock n’ roll,” shares lead vocalist and guitarist, Matt Borck, “But it’s also personal. We’ve been in the trenches and working our butts off for the band, so it also symbolizes making our dreams a reality.”

Part of that dream was to capture the energy and excitement the band has come to be known for in their live performances. And in an effort to capture that live vibe, the band opted to produce the record themselves and recorded with “an organic first-take tracking aesthetic.” “I wanted to be exposed and free. We strove for imperfection as perfection, going for first takes and picking emotion over anything else,” says Borck.

If Rebuilding the Fallen Empire is YUCA’s “imperfection,” look out for their “perfect” stuff. “Skeletal Desires” launches the album off to a powerful start, big, bright horns offsetting a relentless guitar drive before Borck settles in with his Matthew Bellamy-styled vocals, reaching and soaring for the skies. He keeps that soulful soaring going on “Melt You,” ripping through guitar chords with ease while Andy Boldt’s bass throbs heavy alongside Dave Atkinson’s pounding drum work.

“Maybe We’ll Riot” finds more pulsing bass lines and experimental flows but is one of the more accessible tracks, the rock ‘n’ roll passion ample while “Heavy as a Stone” introduces the band’s wall of sound approach, nuanced yet frenetic instrumental flows over Borck’s impassioned vocals as he sings of common human threads. A rising epic flair colors “I’m Alive She Said,” the moving vocals and Edge-like guitars invoking thoughts of U2 as “Love” opts for a progressively slow build, gentle notes building to a crescendo of sonic stimuli that resonates strongly.

There’s a moody element to “Where Are My Soldiers At?,” the tone somewhat dark and theatrical, Atkinson’s drums pounding the way ahead as Borck’s vocal range stretches high, singing with passion. Experimental is a good way to define “Anthem of Need,” the band opting for some inspirationally sound musical jamming before moving the track forward, the playfulness making one long to see the band live. Influences of Muse come to the forefront on “Give Up My Ghost,” the whole track showcasing those elements while still staying true to YUCA’s mentality as “Sparrow” closes the album out with a sweeping and subdued song that recalls the emotion of Sigor Ros.

There are few artists daring enough to even try, let alone succeed, in doing what YUCA has done with their debut, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. Rolling the dice and hoping for the best with their live recording method, the band has captured that live sound without fail, the energy and spontaneity of it simply pouring more gasoline onto the vibrant creativity the group produces. Perfect for fans of Muse or U2, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire is an album poised to put YUCA on the musical map. - Andrew Greenhalgh

Interview with Matt, Andy, And Dave

About six months ago, I was listening to the New Driven Torqued show on WROM Radio, when the most heavy, beautifully sung alt-rock song I had heard in years caught my ear. I had just begun listening to some Indie Rock after seeing some hashtags on Twitter about it. Winchester Rebels was one of the first bands that caught my attention due to their awesome name. They play good stuff, but the music I heard that night, hooked me. After the song ended, I tweeted Sherry at New Driven and told her that there was this one song from that night’s show that I was totally digging. Without any further description from me, she knew exactly which one it was. It was “Where are My Soldiers At?” by the Western Canadian alt-rock band YUCA.

For weeks following, I saturated my personal as well as “business” Twitter accounts, and my Facebook page, with that song; randomly sharing at all hours of the day and night. I haven’t played a song on repeat like that since the early 1990’s when Alice in Chains released “Would”. I did the only respectable thing a music lover could do; I bought everything they had available on iTunes and stalked YouTube for videos of their live shows. By the time they released “Give Up My Ghosts” and “Skeletal Desires”, in June, my friends were all practically jumping for joy that they would hear something other than “break ooooouuuuut the wiiiiiine” from my horrible singing voice once I reached “solo a cappella singing level” of intoxication.

Since then I have talked, to anyone that will listen, about this band and how amazing they are. I have burned CD’s and mailed them to my friends to listen to. They all agree that YUCA is an amazing group. They are truly the real deal. And they do it with only three band members. Guitarist and Lead singer Matt Borck, Bassist Andy Boldt, and Drummer Dave Atkinson put out a sound that is truly unique, spellbinding, and just plain damn good music. Recently, I crushed brains with Sherry from New Driven Radio and we came up with a little concept of me doing written interviews and what not for bands, to be posted on New Driven’s website. The band I asked to do first was, shockingly, YUCA. The following is the result. The interview took place during early September, and gives a little background into the band members, as well as their own individual takes on the new album, “Rebuilding The Fallen Empire” which set for an October 11th release. Their publicist Angela Nagle of Rising Empire Records was extremely cooperative with me, and I will forever be thankful to her for letting me use YUCA for my first foray into this arena. - Gretchen Mashburn/New Driven Radio

Album Review

YUCA is Rebuilding The Fallen Empire

YUCA is Rebuilding The Fallen EmpireYUCA have performed over 375 shows over the past 5 years earning them international attention as well as plenty of awards and recognition. Their future looks very bright.

Matt Borck (lead vox and guitar), Andy Boldt (bass and bg vox), and Dave Atkinson (drums) performed multiple times during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics including having a song placed in the PS3 and Xbox360 video game. They have shared stages with The Killers, AFI, De La Soul, Hot Hot Heat, Theory of a Deadman, Default, and Econoline Crush.

They’ve been to Japan twice including headlining Rocktoberfest. It’s possible you’ve seen them on TV on shows such as Urban Rush, Global TV, and CTV.

Rebuilding The Fallen Empire is on the verge of making my speakers explode with raw passion, epic frequencies, and pure emotion.

I’m driving down this lonely highway, windows down with the pedal to the medal and not a care in front of me. At any second now the sounds blasting from my speakers are about to lift my car off the ground and send me flying through the atmosphere.

As my stomach tries to force itself through my throat and I begin fearing for the worst, a calming sensation blankets me and I realize we are floating into oblivion… and I couldn’t be happier.

Rebuilding the Fallen Empire is the soundtrack to my adventure.

“The title has a double meaning,” says Matt Borck, YUCA’s primary songwriter, singer-guitarist. “It means reviving rock n’ roll, but it’s also personal. We’ve been in the trenches and working our butts off for the band, so it also symbolizes making our dreams a reality.”

YUCA have created a classic. Go get your copy. - Joshua Smotherman

// YUCA has been selected as one of the top 20 bands in all of BC to participate in the Peak Performance Project. 100.5FM The Peak, selects 20 bands out of a possible 500, to compete for a top prize of $100,500! This is a band changing opportunity for all 20 bands. Top 5 bands will be released in Nov. 2010! - Newspaper Articles / Reviews

// YUCA was just crowned '99.3FM The Fox Radio Seeds Platinum Award Winners' at a sold out Commodore Ballroom show. This award was chosen by Warner Music and Coalition Entertainment. YUCA was chosen from 500 plus bands who entered the contest.

// YUCA was asked to perform on Vancouver's Pop culture TV show 'Urban Rush' in Jan 2006. They've just been asked to make another appearance Oct 11th to perform the single 'Its about Something'. Airing to over 100,000 viewers.

// Many articles have been written on YUCA in various Vancouver, Canada Newspapers as well as online.

// See www.yuca.ca for more info. - Newspaper Articles / Reviews